KOHAT – Traffic on the Thall-Parachinar Road was disrupted again on Tuesday, shortly after the highway reopened following a two-day closure, amid reports of stone-pelting and firing targeting police and passenger vehicles in the Bagan area of Lower Kurram.
The incident triggered fresh tension in the area and once again disrupted traffic on the main road connecting Parachinar with Kohat and Peshawar via Thall in Hangu district. Two people, including a driver, were reportedly injured in the firing, although the reports could not be independently verified immediately.
According to preliminary reports, police conducted a raid in Bagan to arrest suspects allegedly involved in the kidnapping of a young girl from Ali Zai. An FIR had reportedly been registered at Ali Zai Police Station, nominating more than four people from Bagan in connection with the incident.
Police reportedly carried out the raid on Tuesday on the basis of the FIR. During the operation, some local residents allegedly became agitated and pelted police and passenger vehicles with stones, damaging the windscreens of several vehicles.
Eyewitnesses said some vehicles also came under fire during the incident. However, the reports of firing could not be independently confirmed immediately. Police sources said a police vehicle was also badly damaged in the stone-pelting, while an official statement on the incident was awaited.
Following the incident, traffic on the Thall-Parachinar Road was once again severely affected, leaving passenger vehicles and patients stranded in Ali Zai and Thall.
The road had earlier been closed to all traffic by the local administration following reports of tension between Ali Zai and Bagan over the alleged kidnapping. The highway remained closed for two days, Sunday and Monday, before being reopened on Tuesday, allowing passengers to resume their journeys.
However, shortly after the reopening, vehicles travelling to and from Parachinar reportedly came under stone-pelting near Bagan Bazaar, causing panic among passengers and once again bringing traffic on the route to a halt.
The latest disruption has caused particular concern among patients and their attendants travelling to Parachinar and other areas for medical treatment, along with passengers who rely on the highway as the main road link between Parachinar, Hangu, Kohat and Peshawar.
Local residents expressed concern over the reported targeting of passenger and patients’ vehicles and urged the government and district administration to strengthen security along the highway and ensure safe passage for travellers, particularly those seeking medical treatment.
Residents also called for the identification of those involved in the incident and legal action against them, while urging the authorities to take effective measures to ensure safe and uninterrupted traffic on the Thall-Parachinar route.
The fresh incident further compounded the difficulties faced by residents of Kurram, particularly patients and other passengers who depend on the highway as a vital link between Parachinar and other parts of the district and the province.
